Chopped Roti and Dal

Chopped Roti (Kothu Roti) was one of our favorite dishes in Sri Lanka. Its a stir fry of day old roti, and its delicious. Usually served with fish or chicken curry, we made it with Dal (for Mirra).Godamba Roti

2 Ccups of flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup warm water

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 Cup coconut oil

To make the Roti dough:
Combine the flour, salt, teaspoon of oil and warm water in a bowl. Knead for five minutes until it is very smooth. Cut the dough into four pieces and roll into balls. Place them in a small bowl and toss them in coconut oil then pour the rest of the coconut oil over the top. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap. If you have a lot of coconut oil, submerge them completely – otherwise, after an hour, flip the dough balls so the other side is submerged in the oil. Wait at least two hours before cooking.

To cook the Roti:
Once the dough balls have rested (submerged in coconut oil) for at least two hours, roll each ball out so that it is as thin as possible. I flipped a sheet pan upside down and used it as a griddle, but really you could use any large flat surface. Get it nice and hot and pour a little bit of oil onto the flat surface. Rub the roti with a little more coconut oil and place it on the hot pan. It will cook in less than a minute per side. (I flip it back and forth every 20 seconds). You don’t want it to burn, but its nice to have some dark bubbles form. Once you’ve cooked the roti, set them aside. The rotis are great in the khotu roti dish, but they are also wonderful to eat as is alongside a curry or dal dish.

Khotu Roti:

2 Tablespoons Coconut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 small bunch of curry leaves (you can buy them at an Indian supermarket)

1 chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 thumbs worth of ginger, minced

1 green chilli thinly sliced

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tomato diced

1/3 cup of water

½ the roti you made earlier (cut into 1 cm strips)

¼ of a small cabbage (1 cup shredded)

1 large carrot shredded

2 spring onions diced

Heat the coconut oil until it is very hot (But not smoking). Add the mustard seeds and let them fry for 5 seconds, then add the curry leaves for five seconds, followed by the large onion. Saute the onions for 2 minutes and then turn the heat down to Medium.

Add the ginger and garlic and all of the spices. Stir. Then add the tomatoes and water. Saute for another minute. Then add the cabbage, roti slices, carrots and spring onion, turn the heat to high and fry for one minute. Serve with the Dal.

Coconut Dal:

2 Tabespoons Coconut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 small bunch of curry leaves

1 chopped onion

2 garlic cloves minced

1 thumbs worth of ginger, minced

2 dried red chillies

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 cups red lentils (washed)

2 cups water

2 cups coconut milk

In a large pot, heat the coconut oil. Then add in the mustard seeds and coriander seeds followed by the curry leaves. Saute the mixture for two minutes on high, then turn to medium and add the rest of the spices. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add the water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are falling apart. Add more liquid if it begins to dry out too much. Salt to taste.

Mirra and Daniel-what a great team you are! This video is so fun-watching how you work/play together. There is no question why we all keep coming back for more. Great recipe-the two of you and the Chopped Roti. p.s. I’m not going to tell you what Oliver’s reaction was when he heard you were engaged. He’ll show you himself when he sees you.